In 2011, Eagle Academy signed a Letter of Intent with the DC Department of Real Estate Services for the lease of land and improvements of the property located at 3400 Wheeler Road, SE, commonly known as the McGogney Elementary School. The architectural firm Shinberg Levinas completed the sketches for “The Eagle Center: An Integrated Community-Services School,” a large renovation and construction project that will be divided in various phases. Eagle Academy will relocate to the renovated old McGogney ES facilities (Phase 1) by August 2012. Phase 2 is the construction of a new addition, connected to the existing building. It will include a Parents and Community Center, a Gymnasium, and an Indoor Pool. The addition will also have an elevator serving the original building and the addition. It should be completed by the spring of 2013. Phase 3 is the construction of a new clinic facility for the community to be administered by a local hospital. Construction of Phase 3 should conclude by Summer of 2014.
The Eagle Center: An Integrated Community-Services School will be the first full service community school of its kind in all of the Washington, DC area. It will provide high quality programs and services for the whole Ward 8 community under one roof, including:
- Care for children from birth to age 3
- Education for children from PreK-3 through Grade 3, free of charge
- Before and after school programs
- Summer school programs
- Family support centers to strengthen parent involvement, parent education and leadership development
- Teacher training center and education research facility
- Social services for individuals and families
- Medical, dental and mental health services for children and adults
- Adult education and job training programs
- Recreational opportunities
- Cultural programs
Eagle Academy will partner with Ward 8 schools, organizations, churches, and businesses, with DC government, and with local universities in order to expand the continuum of programs and services that will be available for our students, their families, and the community. Our students will enter kindergarten ready to learn. They will have access to 21st century learning tools. They will be proficient in core academic subjects and will successfully transition to local high performing middle schools. Students will feel safe at school and will begin to experience living in a safe and stable community.
Eagle Academy is broadening its mission and vision to meet the needs of its students and whole community where the students live. The school will be where health, mental health, recreation, and other services are provided. The emphasis will be on prevention. The school will be the environment where a systems approach to change is used. It will not be a school where human services are an add-on. Collaboration will become a key process in the school. Input from the community will determine what special services will be provided. By meeting the non-curricular needs of children and families, The Eagle Center will ensure that quality learning will happen for all of Eagle’s students.
Our focus on one-stop service integration is a reaction to the proliferation of fragmented and often inaccessible programs for children and families. The school’s doors will be opened to outside agencies that want to help children and families and can bring resources with them. Everyone must agree that services need to be integrated rather than fragmented, and many people will see Eagle Academy’s site as a hub of education and service in the Ward 8 community.
